deprecate

play

verb dep·re·cate \ ˈde-pri-ˌkāt \

Definition of deprecate

deprecated; deprecating

transitive verb

1 a archaic :to pray against (something, such as an evil)

b :to seek to avert

deprecate the wrath … of the Roman people
—Tobias Smollett

2 :to express disapproval of

deprecates such attempts at humor

3 a :play down :make little of

speaks five languages … but deprecates this facility
—Time

b :belittle, disparage

the most reluctantly admired and least easily deprecated of … novelists
—New Yorker

—

deprecatingly

play \-ˌkā-tiŋ-lē\ adverb

—

deprecation

play \ˌde-pri-ˈkā-shən\ noun

See deprecate defined for English-language learners

See deprecate defined for kids

Examples of deprecate in a Sentence

movie critics tried to outdo one another in deprecating the comedy as the stupidest movie of the year
deprecates TV sitcoms as childish and simpleminded

Recent Examples of deprecate from the Web

The band is obviously being self-deprecating, but a sliver of its fan base has been bemoaning this very thing.

— special to the oregonian, OregonLive.com, "Portland's Portugal The Man is finally big enough to be called a sellout," 14 July 2017
With his distinctive sweet-sly delivery, keen wit and self-deprecating likability, Funches has always been an original.

— kristi turnquist, OregonLive.com, "Ron Funches, fresh from TV and movies, returns to Portland for comedy show," 4 July 2017
Jon Watts, whose low-budget indie Cop Car is well worth seeking out, is an extremely lively director, and perfectly matches Peter Parker's witty, oftentimes self-deprecating demeanor.

— jordan hoffman, Popular Mechanics, "'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Makes Spidey Feel Fun and Fresh Again," 29 June 2017
Mr. Tomkins noted that Mr. Benson had made his boast sound self-deprecating.

— richard sandomir, New York Times, "Richard Benson, Photographer and Printer, Dies at 73," 27 June 2017
The only question is who could crack the better self-deprecating joke.

— carl steward, The Mercury News, "How Warriors are like the old 49ers: Let us count the ways," 15 June 2017
But the self-deprecating star is best remembered for her comedies.

— hal boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Bette Midler, Diane Keaton: 'First Wives' flourish," 9 June 2017
A large crowd turned out to welcome her, suggesting Roberts' fans still treasure her distinctive combination of smart pianism, sensitive vocals and decidedly self-deprecating brand of humor.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Judy Roberts swings back home to Chicago for Jazz Showcase residency," 9 June 2017
McCain, who can alternate between gruff and self-deprecating, afterward made light of the mess.

— andrew taylor, The Denver Post, "John McCain says his confusing questions resulted from fatigue," 8 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deprecate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.